Brian C.J. Moore - Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids

Abstract

Hearing loss affects more than 10% of the adult population in most countries, and is especially prevalent among the elderly. The most common form of hearing loss arises from dysfunction of the cochlea in the inner ear. In most cases, the only form of treatment is via hearing aids or (for profound losses) cochlear implants. In this lecture I will review some of the perceptual consequences of hearing loss, which involve much more than just loss of sensitivity to weak sounds. I will then describe the signal processing that is performed in hearing aids and will consider the extent to which hearing aids “compensate” for hearing loss. Possible avenues for the future will be discussed.